Reversing means for shafts.



H. F. SEYBERT.

REVERSING MEANS FOR SHAFTS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 11, 1908 943,477. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

WITNESSES INVENTOP.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

HARVEY r. sEYBER'r, or PERRY TOWNSHIP, ARMSTRONG COUNTY, rENns z'LvANIA.

REVERSING MEANS FOR SHAFTS.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HARVEY F. SEY ERT,

- a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident 'of- Perry township, inthe county of Armennsylvania, have .lIl-

stron and State of vente a new and Improved Reverslng Means for Shafts,of which the following is 'sL-full, clear, and exact description.

. Thls mvention relates to certain nnprovementsin reversing mechanism,.and more particularly to means whereby the momentum of the engine whileslowing down, storesup energy to start the engine in the full stop,Referen'ce'is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts'in' both the figures, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of an engine having a reversing mechanismconstructed in accordance with my invention, and Figr-2 is a transversesection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' My improved mechanism is adapted for reverse direction as soon as itcomes to a.

" use 1n connection with any mechanism which it is desired .to reverse,but is particularly adaptable for use in connection with the main shaftof an internal combustion engine. In the accompanying drawings, I haveshown a portion of an engine in Which there is employed a main shaftextending through the crank casing 11 and having a fly wheel 12. On-tlieshaft adjacent the 'fiy Wheel, I 'mount my improved reversing mechanism,which in the specific form illus trated .includes two wheels or drums l3and 14 0f substantially the same size and looselymounted adjacent eachother. The wheels each .have one face thereof provided with a series ofratchet teeth, the teeth on one of the wheels beingoppositely disposedto those on the other wheel. Adjacent the two wheels are two' coilsprings 15 and 16,

each of which has one end thereof rigidly secured -to the shaft. Theouter or free end v of each spring is provided with a tooth, dog,

or projection 17, which extends into engagement with the toothedorjnotched side of the adjacent wheel. Each wheel may freely rotate inone direction by the teeth slipping past the tooth or projection on thecorre spond ng spring, but rotation in the opposite direction causes thespring to be coiled up and the extent of the rotation is limited ISpecification of Letters Patent. Patent Dec, 14, 1909, Application filed.Tune 11, 1908. Serial No. 437,855.

to the extent to which the spring may be coiled. As the teeth andprojections on one are the reverse of those on the other, it is evident.that one wheel may freely rotate in one direction while the other wheelmay freely rotate in the reverse direction. Ad-' jacent the two wheelsare mounted means for engaging therewith to hold them substantiallystationary when it is desired to' operate the device.

Any suitable form of brake mechanism or gripping mechanism may beemployed, but,

and having the opposite end thereo secured to o'fieend of a lever 22mounted upon saidpivot. By depressing the outer end of the lever-'22from the position shown in F1g. 2,

the bands may be tightened and both of the- -wheels held againstrotation. Normally the brake is loose, so that both wheels may freelyrotate, but when it is desired to'stop the en- Igine and start itrotating in the reverse ,di--

rection; the brake band istightened and the wheels heldstationary. Oneofthe springs will slip past its wheel, while the second spring willbecome tightly coiled until the engine is prevented from rotating. Theinstant the engine comes to a full stop, the ten-- sion of the springstarts the engine in the reverse dlrectionuntil the spring is 'uncollcd.

-At this time, the brake band is released and the engine permitted tocontinue rotat .ing in the reverse direction. The direction of rotationmay be changed at will, and the operation is substantially the sameirrespective of thedirection in which the engine may be rotated.

. 'When the engine isrotating in the direction indicated by the'arrow onthe fiy wheel;

12, and it is desired to reverse, energy isstored in the @011 15 by theholding of the wheel 13', and this energy is used in starting c H theengine in the reverse direction again after it is stopped. If it isdesired to again reverse, the wheel 14 and the spring 16 will operatefor the'storing of energy and the later utilizing of the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecnreby Letters Patent:

1. A reversing means for internal combustion engines, comprising a shaftnormally positively rotated by the engine, a spring normally inactiveand normally relaxed, connections between-one end of the spring and saidshaft, a substantially stationary member,

connections between the opposite end of the spring and saidsubstantially stationary v energy of the spring.

2. The combination with a shaft and means for rotating it, of areversingmechanism comprising-a spring coiled about said shaft andnormall "relaxed,;a substantially stationary mem er,'.one end of saidspring being connected to the shaft and the opposite end ofthe springbeing connected to said substantially stationary member when said springis in operationyand manually-controlled means for throwing, one of saidconnections into or' out of operation during the stopping of theshaftwhereby energy will be stored in the spring until the engine stops andthe stored energy will, be immediatel utilized in automatically startingthe shaft rotating in the reverse direction. I

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine havinga shaftpositively ro- "tated by the engine, of a coil-spring encircling thesame and having one endconnected to said shaft, and controllable meansfor engaging with one end of said spring whereby.

, the spring is coiledduring the .stopping of. the engine, saidshaftbeing free to start rotating in the reverse direction immediatelyafter stopping and under the action of the two subscribing witnesses.

stored ,energy of-the coiled spring. a

,4. In 'COmbIDQtIOH, a shaft, means for retating it, a coil springhaving one end thereof secured to said shaft, and a wheel looselymountedon said shaft'and adapted to engage with said spring to coil thesame when said wheel is held against rotatiomthe coiled spring servingtostart the shaft rotating in the reverse direction immediatelyafter thestopping of the shaft.

5. In combination, a shaft, means for rotating it, two wheels looselymounted thereon and having oppositely-disposed ratchet teeth,

springs, stop the shaft from rotating and start it rotating in thereverse direction.

6. In combination, a shaft, means for ro- .tating 1t, two 0011 sprlngs,each having one end thereof secured to said shaft, and means for holdingthe opposite end of one of said I springs to stop the shaft and start itrotating in the opposite direction, the particular spring held beingdependent upon the'direction of said shaft before stopping.

7. The combination with a shaft of a reversing mechanism comprising anenergystoring device normally inactive and when active exerting itsforce continuously on the shaft in one direction, and operativeconneetlons for engaging with said energy storing device to render thesame active and to store energy therein by the rotation of said shaft,said energy-storing device also serving as a brake to stop said'shaftduring the storing of energy and to act on said shaft td deliver its Ienergy thereto and rotate said shaft in the reverse direction after thestopping of said shaft.

In testimony ihereof I have signed my name, to this specification in,the presence of HARVEY Witnesses:

J. W. VERNER, C. W. SUTTON.

